So I had a different project that I was going to post today, an update version of my Book Pages Pendant Lantern from Project 19, but then I started working on this light idea, and I am so excited by the results I just couldn’t wait to show you guys!

My inspiration and guide was this light from Design*Sponge, that I spotted on Pinterest. I really liked the idea, and I had a roll of white vellum lying around left over from college that I thought would look beautiful. So I started cutting triangles. And then I started glueing. And cutting more and glueing more. And it was at about the third round of this cycle that I realized, this light was going to take longer than I had anticipated. But honestly, all the work was worth it in the end because I love it!

The roll of vellum that I was using was 24 inches long. I would unroll a manageable size piece maybe 12 inches or so wide, and cut it off the roll. I cut off two pieces roughly the same size and then cut those down to be 9 inches long. Of course if I had just decided to use an 8 inch long triangle, then I could have gotten three pieces out of my 24 inch length instead of just two, but I was tired when I first started this project and I missed that point. But anyway, I then had a bunch of pieces of vellum that were a roughly random width, and all 9 inches long (or tall, however you think about it.) The top and bottom edge of my pieces were the curled sides, so if I had let all my pieces curl back up they would all be cylinders exactly 9 inches tall. The reason I’m obsessing about this detail is because once I cut my triangles (3 inches wide at the top, the full 9 inches long) the curl was side to side along the 3 inch edge, and wasn’t down along the length of the triangle. I think this really helped give each piece strength, and was one of the reasons they stuck straight out from the lantern. Its just a theory, but I think cutting the pieces in this direction is certainly better than having each long triangle be all curly.

I think I glued the pieces on much closer than they did in the Design*Sponge tutorial, but I wanted a really full look. I’d say each new row was approximately 1/2 inch above the layer below, starting at the bottom and working upwards. I would usually leave a bit of space between each piece, but I wasn’t super exact. I did make sure to off center each new row so that the spaces between each piece were covered with the overlap, though eventually each piece was covered by so many compiled rows it didn’t really matter. Honestly, there wasn’t a lot of room for error, and while it was a lot of work, it was also a pretty fool proof concept!

All in all I think the light is pretty awesome, and I can’t wait to post it on Etsy, though I’m a little bit worried about shipping. It will easily fit in a box, but the upper layers will be pushed down to follow the curve of the original paper lantern, and I’m a little worried that they won’t bounce back. I think I’m going to place the light in a box overnight or maybe for a day or two, and then see if the shape is still there, before posting it for sale. I wouldn’t want someone to expect one thing and get another in the mail! And if the shape completely flattens, well I’ll just have to re-photograph it.

So I know I need to get back to my 30x30x3 projects, but this light took me by surprise with its shape and fantastic outcome, and I just couldn’t wait to share! Hopefully I can spend the weekend coming up with my next project and will have something new to show everyone early next week.

For now, have a lovely weekend and hopefully the weather is warmer where you are, since NYC is having a bit of Winter 2.0 at the moment and I am not happy about it!

Ciao, Allison

**UPDATE: This light is going to be featured as the cover of Hannah Nunn’s new book ‘Illuminate’ due in November 2012. Check out the cover in this post!

Yes, I do think it looks like a punky haircut but heck punk is in, right. What I love is the illumination when the light is on. Is it because of the Vellum? I wonder how it would look with cellophane paper? What kind of bulbs did you use? What kind of glue? Just curious.

Allison, you did a great job! You have the patience of a saint. Wouldn’t this look great in a teenager’s room? It has a feeling of a 1970’s Lava lamp. Don’t you think or maybe it’s just me.

A beautiful design. Consider this your SAMPLE. Contact a lamp company. They can reproduce in plastic which will SHIP much better. YOU HAVE SOMETHING very special here! Make it work to the most for YOU. Best! Carol M. Kimball ck8904@comcast.net

Wow, thank you for all the wonderful comments! What a great way to wake up in the morning. Let’s see, there were some questions…

Glue. I used Sobo glue, though I could have just as easily used Elmer’s. I started using the Sobo instead because the bottle I have happens to be a bit thicker than usual, which I thought was good for the vellum which didn’t stick quite as well as normal paper might. I also liked that the Sobo had a flat top to the nozzle, so I could really smear the glue around on the top edge of each triangle piece. However, next time I might just use Elmer’s, since I recently inherited about 4 bottles from a friend.

Light bulb. I took the photos using a standard 25 watt incandescent bulb. It was the lowest wattage I had on hand. However, I just swapped out that bulb for an 11 watt CFL from Ikea (equivalent to 50 watts) and it looks pretty much the same. This Ikea bulb has a round exterior shape, and a slightly softer light than most CFLs, which looks great with the vellum. I think the lower the wattage of the bulb, the softer the light quality.

The vellum really glows in such a nice way. Would regular paper look similar? I honestly have no idea. But there is something fantastic about the way the vellum just glows. I think that would probably be lost with regular paper.

Carol that’s an amazing idea, I would love to get this manufactured by a lighting company, if only I knew how to get started with that process! I think it would look great in a harder plastic, but I wouldn’t have the first clue of who to contact about that. Oh well. I do plan on packing it away in a box later today, to see how the vellum holds up. I may have an updated shape to show everyone in a few days, who knows?!

Thanks again for everyone’s thoughts, I’m sure other DIYers feel the same way, but sometimes when you make a project like this you just love it so much that putting it out into the world is a bit scary because, what if other people don’t love it as much as you do? So its always nice to have some validation.

Hey girl, I am LOVING your lamp. It is super cool, and I HAVE to check out the rest of your blog now, because I’m loving what you are doing here. How fun, and I bet I will get TONS of great inspiration. This is just the kind of blog, I am always searching for, since I am always obsessing with how I can turn trash into awesome projects.

This is amazing! I have 2 or 3 paper lanterns that have small tears in them since I moved and I wasn’t sure if I could save them so I was just gonna toss them, but this has definitely inspired me and given me a fun new way to save them and refresh their look! Thanks so much and awesome work! 😀

So I carefully slid the lantern down into a box, and left it there for a day. Then I just turned the box over and slid it out from the bottom, so that I was always pulling it along in the direction from top to bottom, the same way the paper falls.

And… it popped right back out as full as ever! I don’t know if its the vellum or what, but this light just won’t lie flat even when I force it that way! Needless to say, I’m thrilled because now I don’t have to worry too much about shipping. I’m still a little nervous about the bottom part, but I’m hoping some big “THIS SIDE UP” signs will help.

At least that’s one big worry satisfied. Now I can hopefully get it posted on Etsy some day soon.

The paper is all glued to a pre-existing chinese paper lantern, just like in the original Design*Sponge tutorial, so none of the paper is any closer to the light bulb than the existing paper lantern. My feeling is, since those don’t seem to be fire hazards then my light wouldn’t be either. The size of the light bulb is important though, I used a 12″ paper lantern and the maximum recommended wattage is 60 watts, so I think as long as you don’t use a bulb higher than 60 watts you should be just fine.
Allison

I’m not sure this is the best reasoning. I’d worry that the extra stuff around the original lamp might act as an insulator, increasing the average temperature and hence the fire risk. It might be wise to check whether the interior temp differs from that of the plain Chinese lantern. It’s a beautiful lamp, though!

I was curious as to what the lamp looks like upside down. Like, It has a lot more volume than the lamps I’ve seen on design sponge (ingenious to use vellum BTW). And I was wondering what the lamp would look like if it had even more volume and was put upside down… Any way you could take a picture of it? I am absolutely on tenterhooks.

Unfortunately this light sold and was shipped off, so I can’t take a photo of it upside down. (And actually got damaged during shipping, which is why I no longer sell it.) But, I can tell you that it looked pretty much the same. See each triangle of vellum was slightly curved, so it really held its shape, so the same strength that made them stand straight out, meant they also didn’t fall open all that much more than they already were.

As for how long it took, its hard to say because I worked on it over a few different sessions, but I’d estimate at least 10-15 hours. Because I had to cut out all the triangles, and then glue them on, it was a really time consuming project. I also really packed them in there, if I did a second one I’d probably have each layer a bit more spaced out.

Using your tutorial and also reading the one on Design Sponge, I just finished making one of these on a 14″ lantern tonight. I’m quite certain It did not take me anywhere near 10-15 hours. HOWEVER . . . the vellum I used was in a package of 8.5×11 sheets, and I used a large paper cutter to cut them into triangles. I was able to cut several sheets at a time because of this. I did the actual gluing in a few sessions, as well, but I wouldn’t estimate that it took me more than 5 hours total to glue. I spaced them each about a half inch above the last row. It turned out beautifully! Thanks so much for posting your tutorial! I’m giving it to my best friend for his birthday.

sooo inspiring! such a great idea. would it be possible for you to post the link to the design sponge tutorial? i searched the d*s site & can’t seem to find it. i’m dying to make one for my dining room. thanks!

I can say only one thing after read this post… It’s awesome design… I am also selling pendant light on my retail store… But, it’s really undue design for pendant and come to know by Decor Hacks… Thanks for sharing your project…

Sorry, no. I’m sure with a lot of effort and some trial and error it could be done, but I just don’t have the interest. Plus honestly the light was so much work I don’t really want to have to make a bunch to sell… Sorry!
Allison

Hi, You know people keep asking me what weight vellum and I just don’t know. It was a left over roll from college, so the packaging was long gone, and honestly I’m not sure I even knew originally what weight it was. It wasn’t super thick though, more like regular paper than anything else. And for the light I usually use the Hemma light bulb cords from Ikea, they are cheap and easy. But you can buy a cord anywhere, any hardware or lighting store will probably have one.
Good luck! Allison

I’m sorry but I have no idea… It also depends on how closely you space the triangles. I’d start with only one roll, because it can be pricey, and then go from there. Good luck, and I’d love to see the end result!
Allison

I’m sorry if you were looking for clearer instructions, did you try looking at the Design*Sponge post that I used as a guide? Because that post shows process photos, and that’s what I used to make my own. Basically you cut out triangles, any size you want really, and then you glue them onto a paper lantern, starting at the bottom. There’s not a whole lot more to it than that, you can use longer/skinnier triangles or shorter/fatter ones, you can space them really close to each other or further apart, every variable is a personal decision and each product is probably going to look a bit different no matter how hard you try to follow the same steps. That’s kind of what I love about this!
I hope this helps, maybe if you had a specific question I could try answering that? Thanks, Allison

I have been searching for the right kind of velum for 3 weeks. I’ve bought many rolls that don’t seem to be what’s in the picture. “Drafting Film” seems to be the thickest so far but there is NO curl to it. No one at the drafting supply places seem to know of a ‘thick’ velum. They all keep referring to ‘the standard’ which seems too flimsy to possibly work. I am dying to make this light. I just can’t get my hands on the thick velum. Someone please help!

Hi Laura, I don’t know what to tell you, except to say the vellum I used really wasn’t that thick, maybe a bit heavier than printer paper but not much. Have you tried the vellums that you have purchased? Honestly with the paper I used I never expected the results I got, so all I can suggest is to try whatever paper you found and maybe you’ll have surprising results too> I really don’t know what else to say, it was a leftover roll and the label was long since gone so I have no idea what weight it was but I do know it really wasn’t all that thick, standard vellum. I’d love to hear if you are able to get a test to work, or what problems you run into, and I’m so sorry I can’t be more help!
Allison

Hey Allison, I love the lamp and can´t stop thinking about it! I have the same problem as Laura G. I bought the vellum roll but it weights just 40gr and they don´t sell anything thicker in rolls. I have not tried it yet but I have the feeling it´s not thick enough. What´s the weight of the vellum that you used?

Hi, So unfortunately I really have no idea what the weight of the vellum I used was, it was a left over roll from a school project and so the wrapping or label was long since gone. But honestly, it wasn’t that thick, maybe slightly thicker than computer printer paper, but not much. All I can suggest is trying out a small sample and seeing if it works? Otherwise I don’t know what to suggest, I’m sorry I don’t have a more concrete answer for you guys!
Allison

Hi everyone I have just bought some Matt acetate from Blink art materials online I bought .05″ and .03″ and it is about the same thickness as standard paper. I bough an Opaque matt i am going to try both http://www.dickblick.com/products/grafix-dura-lar-matte/ single sheets. Acetate is heat resistant . good luck

Hi! This lamp is amazing! I want to make one, but I wondered how you did the actual cutting? Did you do it all by hand? How did you get your triangles same size? I have been cutting some strips now, but it looks awfull

Thanks! Well first I always cut with my xacto blade and ruler, because my scissor skills are dreadful. Then I actually just used my cutting mat for measuring, it has grid lines drawn every 1/2 inch so I just used those as guides for where to put my ruler. I realized in my post I said they were 3 inches at the wide end, but I think that was actually incorrect, I think they were only 1 1/2 or 2 inches at that end, so just keep moving the ruler at an angle, leaving the wide end on one side, then the other. Does this make sense? Does it help?

Thank you so much! I have finished my lamp, and it’s beautifull!! Thank you so much for answering my question, it really helped alot 🙂 Where I live (norway) Wellum paper is very expencive, so I used a paper that is normally used for wrapping sandwiches. Cost me about 4 dollars for the paper, and I have enough in total 🙂

Thank you so much! I have finished my lamp, and it’s beautifull!! Thank you so much for answering my question, it really helped alot 🙂 Where I live (norway) Wellum paper is very expencive, so I used a paper that is normally used for wrapping sandwiches. Cost me about 4 dollars for the paper, and I have enough to make two lamps 🙂

The part you said about making sure the paper rolled the right way was totally true. I tried someone the other way and it didn’t look the same at all!

I have two updates for everyone wondering about the type of vellum I used. I still have no information about the type I originally used for this light, but I have recently ordered a pad of vellum from an art store, to try out for making another one of these lights. (Since until now this has been a one of a kind piece.) I’m not sure what the vellum is going to look like and if it will work, but once I test it I will report back with full details. Also I was just discussing with someone and they are making their own version with magazines, and they folded each triangle gently down the center (the long way) and with that slight fold they are structurally strong enough to stick out like the vellum did, even though the paper is much thinner.

I additionally have lots of new ideas on shipping and how to protect it from damage because I’ve recently become determined that I will figure out a way to make a second one of these lights, and I will figure out a way to ship it successfully! So stay tuned, I promise to be back with updates as soon as I have them.

I’m going to take a stab at re-creating your lamp to replace my ugly brass chandelier in the dining room. Just had a quick question, did you ever consider using a colored paper lantern other than white? I’m talking just the lantern, not the vellum. Have you used color for any of your other lamps? What was the result?

Hi,
Ooh, good luck! I never tried this light with a colored shade, though I definitely considered it and its something I plan to test once I figure out a way to recreate this light and ship it safely. I’m not sure what the results would be, though I would imagine they’d be quite beautiful. Personally I plan to stay in the yellow-orange-red-pink family, because I think those colors will be nicely complimented by the light bulb. Not that there’s anything wrong with the blue-green color palette, I just prefer the warmer colors for lights. I would imagine the color would be quite evident, but other than that I’m just not sure how it would look. I have tried a colored shade for a different project, a small table light with white vellum flowers, and I plan to post those photos very soon (maybe this will motivate me to post them this week!) The color is a bit over-powering when the light is on, however the vellum is a lot closer to the shade, in a completely different situation than this starburst light. It is certainly worth a try, may I suggest test lighting it when you are maybe 1/3 of the way through, to see the results? That way if for some reason you really dislike how it turned out you haven’t put in all the work of finishing a light. It won’t completely capture the final look, but it should give you an idea. And of course if you try it out come back and let us know how it turns out!

I have an idea for shipping that may work. Place the lamp in a box as you did the first time, only puncture the box “top” and use zip ties to secure the lamp top to the box top…virtually suspending it. Place that box inside another, larger box with reinforced edges. What I imagine is that the interior box will maintain the original shape/structure of the lamp while the exterior box will guard against the hazzards of the shipping process. Best of luck. You are an artist.

Thank you, Allison, for your patience in answering all these questions (some of them repeatedly) and updating with new information as you get it. Your lamp is gorgeous and I’m inspired to try it. I was really touched by your kind and gentle reply to one of the snarky comments. Thank you for this lovely post.

Not sure if someone already mentioned this, but if you’re still worrying about shipping methods, I know that some chandeliers are shipped hanging in the box (from a rod installed near the top in the center…. kind of like wardrobe boxes), with only minimal supports from below to prevent swinging.

Love this lamp Allison. What a creative item. I am going to try it with ordinary kitchen parchment paper that comes in rolls for baking. It has the vellum weight and slight tendancy to curl. Just a thought. I will let you know what happens…… And if I get a little crazy, I may try it using the vellum sold at scrapbook stores that comes with patterns on it and maybe do it in a lime color……your creativity has inspired so many of us. I love love love it…….and if some lighting company doesnt contact you I will be shocked……this is a sure bet.

Allison, I stumbled upon this quite by accident but have read each and every comment. I work in activity therapy in an environment where the patients are very limited in their use of mediums for craft projects, so I am constantly making things from paper. Thus, my obsession with paper was born and I am flabbergasted by the simplicity and beauty of this project. Thank you so much for inspiring so many of us to step out of the box and try this. Beautiful!!!

I had no idea this was a craft project; I pinned this “lamp” onto my pinterest board ages ago! You did a FAB job creating this! I hope you are able to make money on this idea however that’ll happen for you! Good job!

Allison: Your lamp is gorgeous, I would get it pattened before someone else does, than maybe go to a lighting company and show them your product, and maybe you can strike up a deal for them to help with the production of them and divide the profits. True talent….want to try it myself, thinking about trying to make a little smaller, one for each side of the bed.

The minute I saw this, I just had to try it. I had an old dusty paper lantern I was getting ready to toss but this gave it new life. I purchased an 8.5″ x 11″ pad of vellum paper from Office Depot. The pad made it easy to use a ruler and knife to cut my triangles (3″ x11″). Since the paper was a little longer and the paper laid flatter, I scored the ends with my scissors, like you do ribbin. The end curled up giving it some depth. It only took about 4 hours to glue. And it turned out great. Thanks for the idea!

Wow i realy like it! I wanna make it soooo bad! I like you’re lamp more than the tutorial! Are they different lenghts of paper? And can you make it with printingpaper? Pleas responds i wanne make it this weekend!

No the paper lengths I used were all the same, I believe I specify the exact length in my blog post but it was so long ago I can’t quite remember! I don’t know if printer paper would work, that looks like the paper they used in the original tutorial, but that final product was very different from mine so I’m not sure how it would work out.

I know that I am VERY late to this party, but I just found this and have read every single word. Allison, you might try talking to IKEA or GE. There should be contact info on their websites. I am thinking of trying this with stiffened fabric. It can be sewn and then applied… I really liked the idea of 2 bedside lamps, so that will probably be what I attempt. How did your second one work out? Did you determine what weight vellum you used?
Great design and thank you for sharing it!

O’Kay Allison, great project to do. as I was reading all of the interesting idea’s about the vellum paper, I realized that when my daughter was married eight years ago, I had bought some 2×2 in square vellum paper with black writing about love-different phrases, and some were in italic print, some bold black print. I still have them, just could not seem to part with them. We scattered them all over the tables in the reception hall, thinking that guests would pick them up as they left. I think these would be good to use to teardrop them by a corner and work my way up to wonderful light as well as a conversation piece. What do you think about this idea?

It is possible that the velum you had curled so much simply because it had been sitting in that roll for a very long time. I have seen many different weights for sale online so not sure why everyone is saying that they can’t find heavy stuff. It is possible as well that the lighter duty stuff would work better anyhow. I have also considered cutting a small slit in the end I am gluing and overlapping the two sides slightly if the paper I get won’t curl up. That should get some stiffness in the length of it… If not, oh well, my creation will simply be something a little different.

It’s gorgeous but I didn’t read the whole thing was the fire issue addressed? Seems like there is no top venting. What’s to stop the heat from the bulb from building up and the whole thing bursting into flames?

This is STUNNING. Thinking trying it myself. Perhaps when you ship it (if you haven’t already) you could rig a special box so it’s hanging in the box? Though on second thoughts that prob wouldn’t work cos the box will be tipped upside etc.

Hi Alison. Did you have any luck posting it? Was thinking trying making it, but a) not sure if have time and b) don’t know if I would get it as beautiful as yours. Would you consider making one for me? Not sure if can send private message on here, but if you’re interested, we can talk details in message/email. Cheers

Still gorgeous! 😉
For the shipping, I was thinking you could put it in a mesh bag attached top AND bottom of the box. You could still mark “this end up” for the preferred direction, but the mesh bag and dual anchor points would keep the “leaves” from getting damaged no matter which way it ended up.

Verry nice!!! but I wonder still how you’ve got the paper to stick out in the air. when I try it hangs just down the lamp. I see you wrote something about the paper was rolled but I can not quite understand it (are from Denmark) 😛